Cape Coral                     back to Community Profiles
IPIX 360° Images: Four Mile Cove

Surrounded by water, Cape Coral's natural beauty provides the perfect setting for fishing and boating enthusiasts. The Cape's extensive system of waterways for boating and sightseeing, includes more than 400 miles of saltwater and freshwater canals, lakes, basins and stunning Intracoastal waterfront areas.

Cape Coral also offers some of the best golf in the area. From top rated championship courses to the more relaxed "executive" courses, golfers will find a course to challenge every skill level. For the tennis buff, fine facilities throughout the city provide a range of options for an invigorating day on the court.

Known as an ideal location for family fun, Cape Coral offers a water park, a family sports amusement center, and a children's science center that truly makes learning fun. Visitors enthusiastically explore a diverse collection of local wares, from unique specialty shops to well-known national favorites. They round out the day dining at fabulous area restaurants that specialize in ethnic foods.

Whether you stay at a hotel, motel or private home, you'll find that this growing community maintains a friendly, small-town atmosphere, one which invites visitors to discover a wealth of exhilarating activities and attractions.

City Profile & Demographics

Cape Coral is the most populous city between Tampa and Miami. More than 62 percent of the population is between the ages of 15-64 and residents under 25 outnumber residents over 65. Southwest Florida's 18-24 age group is growing at a faster rate than the state of Florida and almost triple that of the United States.

PERMANENT POPULATION* MEDIAN AGE** Cape Coral 2000 2005 2010 1980 1990 2000 102,286 149,324 209,324 50.0 39.9 41.6

FUNCTIONAL POPULATION PROJECTIONS* Cape Coral 2005 2010 2015 2020 176,202 236,202 296,202 356,202

RACE DISTRIBUTION** Cape Coral White Black Asian Hispanic* Some Other Race 93.0 2.0 .9 8.3 2.2 Hispanic is an Ethnic group and includes other races. Totals are not equal to 100%.

GENDER FEMALE MALE Cape Coral 1980 1990 2000 1980 1990 2000 17,820 38,842 52,702 16,324 36,149 49,584

AGE DISTRIBUTION** Cape Coral 0 to 14 15 to 24 25 to 44 45 to 64 65+ 18.8% 9.5% 26.8% 25.3% 19.6%

PERSONAL INCOME MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD** Cape Coral 1980 1990 2000 2005 $19,288 $33,999 $43,410 $54,100

LABOR STATISTICS**** Cape Coral Labor Force Persons Employed Persons Unemployed Unemployment Rate 70,273 68,489 1,784 2.5% *Population statistics and projections provided by City of Cape Coral Economic Development Office. Functional population is a combination of both permanent and seasonal residents and is the figure used for long range planning. **Median Age, Race Distribution, Gender, Age Distribution from U.S. Census 2000. ***Personal Income/Median Household from U.S. Census 2000 and City of Cape Coral Department of Community Development. ****Labor Statistics from State of Florida, Dept. of Labor & Employment Security as of December 2004.

Workforce & Education:   Florida's community colleges rank No. 1 in retaining and graduating students and have performed significantly higher in retaining and graduating students than the other 15 Southern states in the SREB* district, including Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. (*Southern Regional Education Board, December 2002) The total labor force in the tri-county area of Lee, Charlotte and Collier is about 389,200. With several regional colleges and universities, businesses have a large pool of skilled workers.

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT PROJECTS   2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 K-5 8,898 10,895 13,161 15,284 17,159 6-8 4,694 5,747 6,942 8,062 9,051 9-12 5,153 6,309 7,622 8,851 9,937

Cost of Living

COST OF LIVING COMPARISONS Metro Area Composite Score Housing Index Atlanta, GA 95.9% 90.1% Boston, MA 135.9% 180.5% Cape Coral, FL 106.4% 107.3% Charlotte, NC 94.7% 87.8% Chicago, IL 132.8% 177.4% Cleveland, OH 104.5% 97.9% Philadelphia, PA N/A N/A San Diego, CA 137.6% 197.3% Sarasota, FL 106.0% 115.1% New York, NY 217.2% 399.8% Tampa, FL